Four-star O-lineman Tyler Carr grew up dreaming of Auburn and ‘Bama, not the NFL

EDITOR’S NOTE: Introducing O-line week at Saturday Down South. This week we’ll talk to some of the biggest offensive line recruits and commitments in the SEC, get their take on things … and we’ll rank ‘em.

Tyler Carr will tell you something most SEC fans have heard before … many young football players around the southeast dream of playing college football in the SEC more than playing in the NFL.

We’ll let him explain.

“I’m from Alabama and we never really had professional ball to get excited about, you only grew up watching college football,” Carr told Saturday Down South. “If you make it to the college level it’s just like making it to the pros for other people.

“No one really cares much about the (Atlanta) Falcons around here. I mean, that’s just the way it is. It’s Auburn and it’s Alabama.”

If that’s the case, the four-star tackle/guard is going to have his dream come true soon. The Gadsden (Ala.) native has scholarship offers from both monster SEC programs in his home state, as well as another dozen plus schools. He’s rated the No. 5 overall prospect in the state of Alabama

Carr is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound prospect who a reputation around the southeast of being a very strong run blocker. He’s rated the No. 183 overall prospect in America—and he has options. If you go by the 247Sports.com Crystal Ball, he’s heading to Auburn. And granted, Alabama does already have some great linemen on board. So why would the analysts put their bets on the Tigers landing him?

“Well, I’ve always said football is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” Carr told SDS. “If you can get the mental aspect down, you’ll be successful—especially at the high school level. I think Auburn’s kind of got the same mentality, but then again so does Alabama. You just keep pounding. Get on the line and you see what you’re made of in the fourth quarter.”

That’s why the Iron Bowl was so good last fall, right? Carr would know, as he was there on a recruiting trip.

“I guess the best way to sum that game up is physical, both teams were,” Carr told SDS. “I mean, you hate to see either team lose because of how hard they both worked for it, but that’s just football and the way it is supposed to be played. They knew the implications of that game.

“If you missed it, you’d really hate it. It was a fun atmosphere to be in. The fans were wild and it was an enjoyable time, that’s for sure.”

So whether he heads to Auburn or Alabama or some other SEC team, the big question is what do those coaches like about Carr and where would they like to see him play—guard or tackle?

“Most coaches really like that I get low for my size—and the way I move my feet,” Carr told SDS. “Those are usually the things that come up. I’ve asked coaches at Auburn, Alabama and Georgia about what they want. Most coaches want me as a tackle. That’s not to say I won’t play guard, I have good enough feet to play guard. I don’t relaly have a preference, it’s just about starting. I’ll play wherever.”